School Readiness

Lancashire school readiness definition

A locally agreed understanding of what being ‘school ready’ means.

Personal, social and emotional development

Children should be able to:

• leave their carer and come into school (there is a need to have a gentle and adaptable way to help children who feel anxious when they are separated from their parents)
• have the confidence to talk to their peers and form new friendships (consider a settling-in period and getting to know each other first), for instance time needs to be spent helping children remember their reception teacher/ teaching assistant's name and those of their new class peers
• usually wait their turn when someone else is speaking
• let others know how they feel (picture cues maybe needed)
• play co-operatively with other children, taking turns and sharing most of the time
• use the toilet on their own (be clean and dry, understand the importance of flushing the toilet and washing their hands) - childcare providers should put in place strategies to support children with anxiety related to toileting and bladder or bowel conditions
• use a tissue to wipe their nose, they may need prompting by an adult to do this
• access drinking water on their own (find their water bottle or drink from a cup provided)
• be self-motivated to complete a task (they may need a little encouragement at times)
• look after and tidy away setting/ school resources (they may need prompting to tidy away)
• recognise their own belongings especially their coat, water bottle and lunchbox
• be independent when playing and learning in the classroom environment, for instance being able to select from a range of resources in the play stations and put them away when they have finished with them

Early English - Communication and language and literacy

Children should be able to:

• sit comfortably and listen attentively for a short period of time
• use sentences that are typically 4 or more words long
• join in with songs, rhymes and repeated refrains in stories that are familiar to them
• talk about a story they have had read to them and be curious about new content, for instance words or images
• understand a simple question or verbal instruction
• join in a short conversation when in a small group
• recognise their name or the initial letter of their name
• choose, hold and turn the pages of a picture book, knowing that pictures and text hold meaning

Physical development

Children should be able to:

• move in a range of ways, for instance walk, run, jump, lift large building play blocks
• use hand tools with some dexterity, moving towards a pincer / tripod grip when drawing or writing
• put on/take off and hang up their coat
• be independent eaters at lunchtimes and snack times (support may be needed sometimes for peeling and opening food)
• show which hand they like to use more